Putrajaya should prioritise reforming laws that it can pass in Parliament without needing two-thirds majority support, said the Malaysian Bar.

Bar president George Varughese said the fact that the government does not have such a majority may make it difficult to pass some reforms like the proposal by de facto Law Minister Liew Vui Keong to raise the retirement age for judges to 70, which requires amending the Federal Constitution.

"For this reason, the Bar is of the view that the government ought to prioritise other steps to reform the judiciary and other institutions, as well as other legislative reforms, which the government will be able to pass with the current composition of the Dewan Rakyat and the Dewan Negara.

"The Bar is cognisant of the many challenges that the government must overcome in fulfilling its election pledges and in meeting the citizens’ enormous expectations, and wish to recognise the various steps it has taken to strengthen our institutions and further the rule of law since coming into power, but more still must be done," Varughese said in a statement today.

He added that the Bar is willing to assist the government with its skills and expertise to help achieve reforms.

Currently, BN has control of the Senate, while Pakatan Harapan only has a simple majority in the Dewan Rakyat.

The Upper House had passed the government's sales and service tax bills to enable the government to collect tax, but stymied a bill to repeal the Anti-Fake News Act.